What’s Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency (PHEE)?

Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency (PHEE) is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Why should I care?

Americans spend more than $160 billion a year to heat, cool, light and live in our homes, and this energy bill continues to grow. Our homes use about 21 percent of the energy we use as a nation each year, consume a significant amount of electricity and natural gas, and contribute about 17 percent of our national emissions of greenhouse gases. While our homes are more efficient today than they were 30 years ago, considerable opportunity remains for greater home energy efficiency and the associated benefits. Many households could save 20-30% on their household energy bills through cost-effective household improvements such as buying more energy-efficient products and appliances, sealing air and duct leaks, and adding insulation.

To help households across the country reduce their home energy bills, The US Department of Energy, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Environmental Protection Agency are working together and in partnership with leading organizations across the country including product manufacturers, retailers, home contractors and remodelers, home builders, utilities, states, financial organizations, and educational institutions, among others. The Agencies are:

The Initiative will help address energy shortages and rising natural gas prices and will make housing more affordable. The Initiative fulfills recommendations of the National Energy Policy and assists the U.S. in meeting the President’s goal for reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of the nation by 18 percent by 2012.

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How are the partnership agencies involved?

U. S. Department of Energy (DOE)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provides technical assistance to diverse national, state and local programs that promote wise home energy use, such as Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. DOE sponsors research in partnership with industry and academia to advance building science and improve technologies and practices that make homes more energy efficient; works in pilot projects to examine the home transaction chain and identify policy opportunities to increase energy efficiency in existing homes; and manages Climate VISION (Voluntary Innovative Sector Initiatives: Opportunities Now), a Presidential public-private partnership initiative that, with EPA and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Transportation, is designed to reduce greenhouse gas intensity.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The Environmental Protection Agency is working with the Department of Energy in this Partnership to expand efforts to promote ENERGY STAR products and appliances. ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program that helps businesses and individuals identify energy efficient products, appliances and homes to protect the environment and save energy. As a key part of this initiative, EPA, DOE and HUD are teaming up to grow Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, a whole house retrofit program, into a nationally based program. In addition, EPA will work with national stakeholders to develop a quality installation program for HVAC equipment under the ENERGY STAR banner, working to ensure that newly installed cooling equipment operates efficiently.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

HUD’s contribution to this Administration initiative consists of two initiatives:

Department-Wide Energy Action Plan, approved by Secretary Jackson in April 2002, and slated for implementation by September 30, 2005. The Action Plan is aimed at reducing HUD’s $4 billion “energy bill” by promoting energy efficiency in approximately five million units assisted, insured or financed by HUD. The Energy Action Plan includes 21 measures aimed at upgrading the energy efficiency of existing and new housing, using an established inventory of proven energy-efficient products and appliances that can be put to work immediately through existing programs. HUD will implement a second phase of the Energy Plan beginning in October, 2005.

PATH Roadmap for Energy Efficiency in Existing Homes. This roadmap, developed by a roundtable of industry representatives for the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing, outlines a series of strategies for boosting energy efficient remodeling of existing homes. Working with the remodeling industry, HUD will support the development of voluntary, energy-efficient remodeling guidelines designed to give homeowners and remodelers credible and reliable approaches to energy efficient home improvements. Other activities in support of the roadmap, are piloting energy-efficient remodeling techniques for specific building types, and supporting (with EPA and DOE), expanding credentialing of energy-efficient remodeling contractors.

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How to Contact Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency

For more information about the Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency, visit the Press Room or contact the individual agency partners:

EnergyStar Contact Center
The Environmental Protection Agency maintains a Contact Center that can answer your questions about the EnergyStar program and EPA home energy saving services.

Toll-Free: 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937)

EERE Information Center
The Department of Energy maintains an Information Center which can answer questions on energy efficiency products, services and refer callers to the most appropriate DOE resources available.

Toll-Free:1-877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463)

Climate VISION Contact Center
The Department of Energy maintains an Information Center which can answer questions on the Climate VISION program.

HUD Contact Information
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has a variety of contact centers that can be accessed with this link.

The HUD PATH contact center can be accessed here

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